Education official to seek local input

A U.S. Department of Education official plans to pick the brains of Las Vegas teachers and students in a warm-up to a cross-country bus tour that starts next week in California.

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan plans to hop a bus in what is being dubbed "Education Drives America," according to a Department of Education news release.

But before the rubber hits the road and the tour bus guns its engine, Assistant Secretary for Vocational and Adult Education Brenda Dann-Messier will gather input from teachers, students and local officials at the Veterans Tribute Career and Technical Academy on Monday.

Later, she will visit the Desert Rose Adult High School and Career Center.

On Tuesday, she will tour the College of Southern Nevada and hold a roundtable discussion on adult education and career pathways with students and faculty.

It's all part of President Barack Obama's blueprint for crafting a new approach to career and technical education.

Some of the proposed reforms include improving the quality of job-training opportunities.

Duncan and his senior leaders will be traveling the country from Sept. 12 to 21. His planned stops don't include Las Vegas, according to the press office.

He will be stopping in Reno. His other destinations include Sacramento, Calif.; Salt Lake City; Cheyenne, Wyo.; Denver; Topeka, Kan.; Kansas City, Mo.; St. Louis; Evansville, Ind.; Lexington, Ky.; Charleston, W. Va.; Roanoke and Richmond, Va .

Contact reporter Tom Ragan at tragan@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5512.

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Comments

Note: Comments made by reporters and editors of the Las Vegas Review-Journal are presented with a yellow background.

1. 
   Surf Zoned Sep. 8, 2012 | 1:00 p.m. Report Abuse

   It's pretty obvious from the research which "Race to the Top" was based on that the program won't work. Mostly because the program was never actually based on research. It WAS based on trying to shove Profitized methodologies onto the public which will make private online education clearing houses like Pearson rich while removing even more funding from public schools. Amanda Fulkerson, of CCSD, and Dwight Jones & Arne Duncan continue to demonize teachers while purposefully ignoring that it is themselves that are driving our schools into the ground. Thanks for the Public Relations STUNTS. Next time try having real conversations with the community rather than talking at them before running away.

2. 
   Brad Truax Sep. 8, 2012 | 11:26 a.m. Report Abuse

   @Virgil: Interesting theory, but I think you may be wrong on this one. There's no conspiracy here. In some schools, the equipment is simply old and in need of replacement, but in schools like mine, with an entirely new system installed in 2011, we've been without AC in part of the building for a week thanks to what appears to be either faulty construction, poor quality equipment, or possibly a design that was inappropriate for the building. I was at school until nearly 5:00 yesterday helping the custodian move computers, pull down ceiling tiles, and place garbage cans to catch water that was leaking into a computer lab from AC equipment that had literally melted!

3. 
   Paul Ruth Sep. 8, 2012 | 7:51 a.m. Report Abuse

   On the education bus tour, as was pointed out Arne Duncan like our own Dwight Jones and the dearly departed Pedro "for President" Martinez, never hit a lick in a classroom. Their viewpoint is dictated by their culture or lack of culture. One needs to do a little research Ono Race to the Top. As I said a couple of days ago, five year plans and new deals, wrapped,in golden chains is what we have here. One of its primary focuses is on privitization schemes and we know how those are doing. Are these meetings open to the public? Maybe I should go.

4. 
   Paul Ruth Sep. 8, 2012 | 7:42 a.m. Report Abuse

   Good call Moses. Interesting story from my school. We were one of the schools with the broken air conditioning system. But the real crime was the broken individual air conditioner that was not immediately dealt with in a portable. For at least a week a 50 plus year old teacher had to trudge into an extremely hot, over crowded wooden box and teach school. Incredible.

5. 
   Virgil Sestini Sep. 8, 2012 | 6:32 a.m. Report Abuse

   The CCSD with the aid of the RJ are both trying to schmooze and flim-flam the public into believing they should pass the November multi-billion dollar school refurbishing bond issue. On three consecutive incident air conditioners at three schools have suddenly broken down. Statistically it is a rare coincidence; or, is it a coincidence at all? Could it be the liars, cheaters, scam artists and phony flim-flam artists are trying to fake one past the public? Is this a very cleaver rouse, this one to panic parents to support the bond issue. Wanna bet that there will be several more such necessary shutdowns before the November election? Maybe even more air/heating conditioners will break down the closer we get to the bond election date. Parents get real nervous when kids are sent home for such unexpected events. We have liars, cheaters, schemers and flim flam artists leading this district and handling the tax payer’s money. If they need 3 new air conditioners, let Dwight Jones fire the thirteen overpaid, underworked incompetent education zone manager administrators he recently hired. Don't believe all that you read in this paper. There is plenty of money available in the district treasury; but the money is invested in $100,000+ administrators. Vote No on the November Bond Issue.

6. 
   Teachers Net Sep. 8, 2012 | 5:25 a.m. Report Abuse

   I wonder why federal official Arne Duncan (never taught a day in his life) is not being characterized as an "out of state" official by the R-J like the Federal Arbitrator was characterized as an "out of state official" to discredit his ruling that CCSD violated the Teacher's contract. Hmmm. Selective memories here.